The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has moved to tighten its operational machinery ahead of the 2027 General Election, with its Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, directing Administrative Secretaries across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory to eliminate administrative ambiguity, strengthen coordination and ensure that no operational gap is allowed to undermine election delivery. Prof. Amupitan gave the directive on Monday, September 7, 2026, in Lagos, as he opened a two-day Strategic Operational Workshop for INEC Administrative Secretaries, describing the exercise as a specialised, election-focused “operational boot camp” designed to test the Commission’s preparedness ahead of the…
Author: Ini Sam
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has warned that advanced artificial intelligence could pose an “existential risk to humanity”, calling for urgent measures to strengthen the safety and security of the technology. Türk issued the warning on Monday while addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he raised concerns over the rapid development of AI and the absence of effective global safeguards. He said the need for AI governance had been widely recognised, but questioned the slow pace of action by governments and other stakeholders. “The need for AI governance is widely acknowledged, but…
A 37-year-old Nigerian woman, Saratu Jibo, who was declared missing by her family after arriving in Doha, Qatar, has been found safe in a hospital. Jibo had travelled from Lagos to Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1408 but became unreachable after arriving in the country. Her family had raised concerns after she failed to contact them and could not be located by the person designated to pick her up from the airport. Her brother, Jonathan Jibo, subsequently appealed for public assistance, explaining that Saratu was travelling to Qatar for the first time and had no friends in the country who…
A Magistrate’s Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has remanded two suspected crude oil thieves at the Uyo Custodial Centre following their arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS). The suspects, identified as 41-year-old Noah Yomi and 42-year-old Ojo Igbala Abiodun, were allegedly arrested while siphoning crude oil from the Seplat Utue B Oilfield platform into a wooden boat loaded with 17 Gee-Pee tanks. The court ordered that the suspects remain in custody until September 24, 2026, when the matter is expected to proceed before the Federal High Court in Uyo. The suspects were arrested on August 25, 2026,…
The convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Borno State, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, came under heavy attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway in northern Borno State. The attack occurred on Thursday afternoon as Gubio and members of his entourage were returning to Maiduguri after a thank-you visit to Damasak, where the APC candidate had visited party supporters following his emergence as the party’s consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election. Damasak, located in northern Borno near Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic, is in Mobbar Local Government Area and is about 156km by road…
The National Universities Commission has approved the commencement of the MBBS Medicine & Surgery programme for Akwa Ibom State University, effective the 2026/2027 academic session. A statement by the Registrar of the Institution, Dr. Ebi Eno Ibanga, said the approval was contained in a letter from the commission, dated Sptember 3, 2026, after a resource verification visit. The statement thanked the Government of Akwa Ibom State and relevant stakeholders for their support for the establishment of the programme. The approval of the MBBS programme takes the number of programmes approved by the NUC to 85, signaling a more than 100%…
The Member representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Unyime Idem, PhD, has commissioned a newly constructed and fully furnished classroom block with offices at Government Primary School, Ikot Akpa Idem, in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The project is part of Idem’s ongoing commitment to improving educational infrastructure and providing pupils and teachers across the constituency with safe, functional and conducive learning environments. The new facility, constructed from the ground up, is equipped with desks, tables, chairs, solar-powered lighting and other essential electrical amenities. According to Idem, the intervention goes beyond providing…
United States President Donald Trump has appointed Nigerian-born lobbyist, Dr Karl Von Batten, as a commissioner on a White House presidential commission. Von Batten, managing partner of Washington-based policy advisory and advocacy firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., was appointed to the position on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The appointment was announced by his firm on Thursday through its verified X account. In the announcement, the firm said Von Batten was honoured by the appointment and expressed his appreciation to President Trump for the confidence placed in him. “Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. is proud to announce that President Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) has…
…officer-in-Charge cries out over leaking roofs, lack of escort vehicle and decaying facilities The Eket Medium Custodial Centre in Akwa Ibom State is in a state of severe disrepair, with over 40 awaiting-trial inmates reportedly unable to appear in court due to the absence of a functional vehicle to convey them for trial. The revelation was made on Tuesday, September 1, when a forum of Eket Federal Constituency media professionals (EFCMP), led by its Chairman, Comrade Enobong Nsimah, visited the facility to assess its condition and explore ways of providing pro bono legal assistance to inmates without legal representation. Receiving…
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Dandutse Muntari Mohammed, has called for sustained stakeholder engagement and increased awareness of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme to ensure that eligible Nigerian students benefit fully from the Federal Government’s student financing initiative. Senator Muntari made the call at the National Sensitisation Programme on NELFund, hosted by the University of Uyo, Monday, August 24, 2026, at the 1000-Seater TETFund Auditorium, Main Campus, Nwaniba Road, Uyo, on the theme, “Expanding Access to Higher Education through Sustainable Student Financing”. The programme brought together members of the National Assembly, University administrators,…